Method of making wire-heddle eyes.



G. LINNERTZ. METHOD OF MAKING WIRE HEDDLE EYES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 6, 1911.

Patented Apr. 1, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Inventor M, Gum

GUSTAV LINNERTZ, F ELBERFELD, GERMANY.

METHOD OF MAKING WIRE-HEDDLE EYES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 6, 1911. Serial No. 625,632.

'5 useful Improvements in Methods of Making WireHeddle Eyes, of which the following is -a specification.

This invention relates to a new method of 'producmg'-.the thread eye in loom heddles made. from a single piece of steel Wire.v In

manufacturing these heddles of springy steel wire the production of the eye for the thread presents. diificulties, inasmuch as the wire springs back after the eye has been formed 15.b y. bending the wire over a mandrel, which causes the eye to open; It has been attempted. heretofore to obviate this drawback bysubjecting the thread eye to a strong pres- 'siire after bendingthe wire. Heddles produced in this manner are found to be weakened atthe portions adjacent to the eye, whichisa serious defect more espec. ally in' tlie manufacture of fine fabrics.

, The-present invention is. distinguished. by

I: the fact that the formation of the steel wire into the thread-"eye is cfi'ectedexclusively by bendinggthereby. enabling heddlesdjo be produced whichcan be used in the manufacture of very fine materials such as silk or the like.

The heddle is thus bentand for i an eye-the axis-of which is at right angles to the heddl'e' and retains this position withoutany-pressing operation being necessary.

' the accompanying drawing I have shown one form of apparatus. for carrying out my method in which-:- v l Figures 1 to tare a series of elevations each accompanied by'a plan of the lower man-' drel which shows the position from which the respective elevation is regarded. Fig. 5

is a sectional plan illustrating a wire bla-nk in theact of being presented to the mandrel. Fig. 6 is an elevation of the wire blank after passing between the mandrel parts and before the latter have-been brought together. Fig.

7 is a rear view of'Fig. 6 after the mandrel parts have been brought together and the andsof the wire have-been moved around through180? in opposite directions. Fig .8

is a plan of the lower mandrel part and of the wire blank when. the ends of the latter have been moved through a little more than 270. Fig. 9 is a View similar to Fig. 7 but showing certain abutments in operative position. Fig. 10 is a similar view but showing the mandrel rods and the abutments canted counter clockwise. Fig. 11 is a similar view but showing the parts canted slightly in the clockwisedirection. Fig. 12 is a plan of the lower mandrel and the abut-ments and shows the blank after it has been bent as shown in the previousfigures. Figs. 13, 1d and 15 are different views of the finished heddle. Figs. 16 and 17 are plans illustrating certain relative positions of the alined mandrels at one stage of the bending process, and Figs. 18

and 19 are plans illustrating diflerentrelative positions of the alined mandrels at another stage of the process, the latter positions being attained by turning the mandrels relatively about the common axis. Figs. 20 and 21 are plansof the upper and'lower parts respectively of the mandrel.

In Figs. 1 to 4, 1 and 2 are the mandrel rods, 3 and 4C are the mandrel parts corresponding in length to the thickness of the Patented Apr. 1,1913.

central eye or thread eye to be formed. The

mandrel is thus dividedin its middle and as seen in the drawing is adapted to receive two thicknesses of wire. In the plan views, Figs. 1 to t of the lower mandrel, the upper mandrel 4 is indicated in broken lines. "Each mandrel is adapted to accommodate only one thickness of wire, so that the wire when formed into an eye lies with part of its upper surface against the shoulder above the upper mandrel, and with part of its opposite suriace against the shoulder below the lower mandrel as seen in Fig. 7. This is facilitated by the provision of the inclined roje0- tions 9. The abutments 12 and 13 which are employed -a s hereinafter described are 'pro- 'vided each with a shoulder 14 for engaging the heddle Wire-in the horizontal direction at the palrts. adjoining. the thread eye and with a shoulder l5.which duringthe-bendin operation serves asan abutment for the-sai parts in the vertical plane. 7 These abutments are arranged one on either side of the mandrel and are movable in the direction of the axis of the mandrel.

Ieye) together with the two abutments first in one direction to the position shown 111 Fig. 10 and then, after moving the shoulders against the wire, the mandrel and 4 abutments are canted in the opposite direction to the position shown in Fig. 11, the ends of the heddle being secured laterally, whereby the thread eye may be displaced as desired with regard to the heddle ends.

. The operation is as follows: The heddle Wire blank 5 in which the thread eye is to be formed has its previously formed end eyes engaged with projecting pins 6 on a feed plate 7 and is transferred from the latter to two arms 8 by which it is carried during the formation of the thread eye. These arms 8 are adapted to'swing about the longitudinal axis of the mandrel. In order to facilitate the insertion of the heddle wire between the rear portions of the mandrel rods, the mandrel rods may be provided with inclined surfaces 10. During the insertion of the heddle blank the two halves of the mandrel are moved sufliciently apart to enable the heddle to be passed between them as seen in Fig. 6 and the heddle wire is thus brought against the rear portion of the mandrel. The mandrel then closes as seen in Fig. 7 and the bending fingers 8 swing around the mandrel through about three quarters of a revolution and bring the wire ends to the position shown in Fig. 8. During the first part of this operation the curved surfaces 3 and 4 of the mandrels which lie toward the rear parts 10 are in alinement as seen in full and dotted lines in Fig. 16 and form the rear part or side of the thread eye as seen in Fig.- 17 but during the latter part of the said operation the mandrel parts turn slightly in relation to one another and their front surfaces come into alinement as seen in Fig. 18 and form the part of the loop as seen in Fig. 19. The abutments 12 and 13 are now advanced from the position seen in Fig. 7 to the position seen in Fig. 9 so that the shoulders 14 and 15 are in the supporting position and the arms 8 then return holding the wire under.

tension. During this return movement of the'arms 8 the parts of the wire adjacent to the thread eye are supported in the horizontal direction by the shoulder 14. Simultaneously with the return movement of the arms the mandrel together with the abutments is canted first in the one direction to the position seen in Fig. 10 and the shoulders 15 are then brought close against the heddle wire. The mandrel together with the abutments is now canted in the other direction to the position seen in Fig. 11. By the tilting or cant-ing in two opposite directions and by the aid of the abutments the thread eye is displaced as desired in relation to the two wire'ends. The canting is carried out in both directions somewhat beyond the amount which is apparently necessary so that upon the return of the mandrel theeye assumes exactly the required position relatively of the heddle ends and also remains in this position. In this manner the heddle eye is completely formed without any-compression of the wire, and it is therefore only necessary'to solder the ends of'the eye in order to finish the heddle.

Applicant has filed a divisional application, Serial No. 656,524, filed October 9, 1911, covering the apparatus described and illustrated herein.-

I claim:

1. The method of forming the eyes of wire heddles, consisting in bending the Wire about a two-part mandrel, bringing abutmcnts into proximity to the loop thus formed, and canting the mandrel first in one direction and then in the other and with it the abutments, meanwhile pressing upon the parts adjacent to the loop by means'of the abutments, substantially as set forth.

2. The method of forming the eyes of wire heddles, consisting in bending the wire about a two-part mandrel, bringing abutments into. proximity to the loop thus formed, and canting the mandrel and with it the abutments first to a considerable degree in one direction and then to a lesser degree in the opposite direction, meanwhile causing the abutments to press upon the parts adjacent to the loop, substantially as set forth.

3. The method of forming the eye of wire heddles, consisting in moving the ends of a wire blank equally and oppositely around a mandrel through a greater angle than is necessary for forming the eye, bringing abutments into proximity to the eye, moving said ends backward until the wire portions adjacent to the eye lie against the abutments, and canting the mandrel and with it the abutments first to a considerable degree in one direction and then to a lesser degree in the opposite direction, meanwhile causing the abutments to press upon the parts adjacent to the loop, substantially as set forth.

4. The method of forming the eyes of wire heddles, consisting in moving the end eyes of the heddle blank on respective rotatable carriers, causing said carriers to revolve equally and oppositely around a two-part mandrel through an angie more than sufiiments to press upon parts adjacent to the 10 cient for forming the desired eye, bringing 100p, substantially as set forth.

abutments into proximity to the eye, mov- In testimony whereof I have signed my ing said carriers backward to the position name to this specification in the presence of for finishing the eye thereby bringing wire two subscribing witnesses.

parts adjacent to said eye against said abut- GUSTAV LINNERTZ. [L. 5.] ments, and canting said mandrel and abut- Witnesses: ments in company while the carriers remain ALFRED HENKEL,

stationary, 'meanwhile causing the, abut- MizI GREGORIE. 

